The 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II lens has become an indispensable tool for many creators across various genres. This lens, renowned for its sharpness, light weight, and exceptional image quality, is a staple in the kits of many top photographers. From capturing the intense action of sports and wildlife to the intimate moments of weddings and the majestic vistas of landscapes, the 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II adapts effortlessly to every scene. In this article, we feature 20 photographers, each with a unique perspective, who rely on this lens to elevate their work. Explore how this lens has become an essential part of their creative arsenal, enabling them to capture the world with unparalleled clarity and creativity:
Photographers Who Love The 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II
Jean Fruth
“I always have this in my bag,” she says. “This is such a versatile lens for me. Especially with the Alpha 1, being able to have these bigger file sizes. So sometimes I now go to a shot specifically to shoot wider to give myself the option later if I want to crop and go tight on the action. It’s really just the versatility to go tight on the action or go loose and be able to show a sense of place. This is a must for sports photography.”
Read more in Take A Look Inside This Professional Sports Photographer's Bag.
Photo by Jean Fruth. Alpha 1. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/1250-sec., f/2.8, ISO 1000
Colby Brown
“The 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II is the second generation of Sony’s popular 70-200mm GM series. Lighter, smaller, and sharper, the 70-200mm GM II improves in every possible way compared to the older model. For wildlife photography, a lens like this is critical to have in your gear bag because you often need a fast lens (f/2.8) when subjects end up getting much closer to you than you initially expected.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: Colby Brown’s Alpha 1 II & Alpha 9 III Kit For Wildlife Photography.
Photo by Colby Brown. Alpha 1 II. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/400-sec., f/3.2, ISO 1250
Sara France
“The 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II is an essential workhorse lens for wedding photographers, and I am no exception. This lens is perfect for capturing distant moments like ceremonies and candid interactions during receptions. Its zoom range allows for quick framing adjustments without changing lenses, ensuring no crucial moments are missed. I love this lens for its image stabilization and sharpness, which help me capture clear, vibrant images even in challenging lighting conditions. Unlike other 70-200mm lenses, which are usually very heavy, the 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II is the lightest in the industry, making it much easier to use for extended periods. This is especially valuable for second photographers who need flexibility and endurance.”
Read more in What's In My Bag: The Top Tools For A Luxury Wedding Photographer.
Photo by Sara France. Alpha 1. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/800-sec., f/2.8, ISO 200
Mickey Pierre-Louis
“This lens is my baby! She’s a beast. I love the telephoto compression this lens gives me. It can really bring the scale of a scene to life. Paired with the compact 2x extender, it turns into a 100-400mm at f/5.6.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: The Ultimate Camera Kit For Music & Portrait Shoots.
Post Malone - photo by Mickey Pierre-Louis. Alpha 7R V. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II.
Jermaine Horton
“I cannot speak to how versatile this lens is. It's not only my wedding lens, but it's truly the second most important lens in my bag for sports at the pro level. But what’s even better is that I can take this lightweight lens to my son's games (I’m his coach too) and get him some professional shots! This lens is great for weddings, portraits, details and sports – it truly is the ALL around zoom lens.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Complete Photo Kit For Capturing Weddings, Portraits & Sports.
Photo by Jermaine Horton. Alpha 1. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/125-sec., f/2.8, ISO 500
Chris Burkard
“The 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II has been the third piece of the puzzle that will always complete my bag. From surf photography to landscapes, the 70-200mm is one of the best ways to capture and compress many layers to showcase depth of field in a landscape. This lens is one of many ways for me to get creative and find textures in nature as seen in the image here. This lens has been a staple for me for many years and I doubt it will ever leave my kit.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: Chris Burkard’s Hybrid Kit For Travel, Adventure & More.
Photo by Chris Burkard. Alpha 7R IV. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/1600-sec., f/4, ISO 200
Anupam Thombre
“When the animals come close, I just keep my 400mm down and calmly pick up the 70-200mm knowing my job is going to get fulfilled. This lens is so light and versatile, it has to be with me as my secondary. The main use of this beautiful glass is to capture wildlife in its habitats. Be it a tiger in the canopy of trees, or elephants on the vast lake side grasslands, it doesn't even fail once capturing the beauty of nature. It truly is the All round zoom lens!”
Read more in What's In My Bag: A Alpha 9 III & Alpha 1 Kit For Unpredictable Wildlife.
Photo by Anupam Thombre. Alpha 1. 400mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/1000-sec., f/5.6, ISO 400
David Horn
“If I could only have one lens, this would be it. It's sharp and gives a versatile focal length. It’s what I consider to be my ‘money shot’ lens. Key images when shooting football are the player scoring a goal and then celebrating the goal and most of those images that I’ve taken, and have had published in national and international publications, are with the 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. I have the 70-200mm paired with my Alpha 9 III primarily because of the focusing speed accuracy of both together, and the pre-focusing option on the body (I tend not to need to crop much into these images). I also use it with the Alpha 1.”
Read more in What's In My Bag: A Alpha Sports Kit For Premier League Action.
Photo by David Horn. Alpha 1. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/1600-sec., f/3.5, ISO 5000
Diána Kenyeres
"People are often surprised that I use a zoom lens for portraits. But I’ve always been the kind of person who does the opposite of what I’m told – especially when someone says, 'That’s not a portrait lens.' I first tried this lens on a trip to Scotland and fell in love immediately. The compression is just chef’s kiss, giving portraits an incredible depth and cinematic feel. It’s also surprisingly versatile – I use it for everything from urban shoots to landscape frames. Autofocus is fast and precise, and it handles beautifully even in dynamic environments.
Read more in What’s In My Bag: An Unconventional Alpha 7R V Kit For Portrait Photography.
Photo by Diána Kenyeres. Alpha 7R V. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/320-sec., f/3.2, ISO 50
Amber Favorite
“This lens is so versatile that I’ve used it for landscapes, portraits, and environmental wildlife shots. The autofocus is quick, has an internal zoom, and it’s lightweight. Some of my favorite shots with this have been portraits with the creamy bokeh you can get at f/2.8. I even used it for photographing Grizzly Bears in Alaska. If you pair this with a 1.4x teleconverter you can get macro like photos on frogs, snakes or small bugs.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: An Outdoor Photo & Video Kit For Travel, Wildlife & Landscapes.
Photo by Amber Favorite. Alpha 1. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/800-sec, f/2.8, ISO 400.
Dietmar Körbler
“The new version of the 70-200mm f/2.8 GM was a revolution for me. Not only because of the image quality and the faster AF For all kinds of sports I love the flexibility and range of a 70-200mm f/2.8 but especially when being out in the backcountry, every gram counts. And that’s where this lens comes in. It is just so lightweight, that it has its fixed place in my bag for almost every shoot. It's also the lens of choice for capturing details and emotions. If I could only bring one lens, this would be it! When I am out skiing, the 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II is my most used lens. Especially when a skier is coming towards you, it’s super convenient to start at 200mm and zoom out as the skier comes closer.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Kit For Capturing Outdoor Winter Sports & Adventures.
(Skier: Marcel Hirscher). Photo by Dietmar Körbler. Alpha 7 IV. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II.
Ben Becker
“My 70-200mm compliments the 24-70mm perfectly. I use this lens frequently in sports photography to make beautiful bokeh and utilize different angles. It’s also perfect for detail shots, something I think many sports photographers overlook, but can really complete a story. I like to use blur in the foreground, and this lens is killer for that technique. Just like the Sony 24-70mm, it is insanely sharp and insanely light for its size and technology. Additionally, this is the lens I grab for portraits.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Double Alpha 9 II Kit For Outdoors & Sports.
Photo by Ben Becker. Alpha 9 II. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II + 2X TC. 1/1250-sec., f/5.6, ISO 640
Josh Munoz
“Recently I have started taking this lens underwater with me. Holy smokes, is it fun! Sometimes it feels like things are a bit too close so it can’t be used in every situation, but the detail you can capture with this underwater is wild. The speed and intelligence of this lens paired with a powerful camera body make shooting video so simple and the lens has no problems keeping focus even while tracking.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Freediver’s Hybrid Kit For Rare Underwater Encounters, Vlogging & More.
Photo by Josh Munoz. Alpha 1. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/250-sec., f/7.1, ISO 200
Austin Rupp
"The 70-200mm is a lens I only use in very specific situations. I mostly use the 70-200mm when capturing landscapes. I love being able to zoom in and capture the details in a location. On a recent portrait shoot in Snow Canyon I used the 70-200mm to capture detail shots of the surrounding red rock to complement the portraits. I find adding these types of shots to a portrait shoot really help to round out the set and a tell a fuller story. I also love using the 70-200mm to convey scale in my portraits. Capturing your subject, off in the distance, dwarfed by a vista is a photo you just can’t capture with any other lens."
Photo by Austin Rupp. Sony Alpha 7R V. Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/4000-sec., f/2.8, ISO 100
Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Pro-Level Kit For High-End Hybrid Content Creation.
Nick Gruen
“The second generation of this lens is 100 percent worth it for anyone debating on the upgrade. It’s such a noticeable difference in weight and its AF / tracking. I’m nailing a significantly more amount of my shots compared to the first generation version. These sorts of factors are a make or break for shooting action sports like surfing. I often pair this with the Sony 2.0x Teleconverter for even more reach.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Boundary-Pushing Outdoor & Commercial Photography Kit.
Photo by Nick Gruen. Alpha 7R IV. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/1000-sec., f/2.8, ISO 250
Evan Possley
“My favorite topside lens! For wildlife, landscapes, portraits, and anything else, this lens has a permanent spot in my bag. It is extremely sharp and lightweight. I often pair it with the Alpha 1, and I don’t think there is a better combination out there.”
Read more in Explore Evan Possley's Gear For Stunning Wildlife & Underwater Photography.
Photo by Evan Possley. Alpha 1. 70-200 f/2.8 G Master II. 1/320-sec., f/5, ISO 640
Sara Boychuk
“I am a big fan of the unique landscape perspectives I can achieve with this lens. From the great focal reach to the compression, I can force the viewer to look at scenes in fresh ways. While it is a bit “heavier,” I will hike up a mountain with this lens in order to tell different stories.”
Photo by Sara Boychuk. Alpha 7 III. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/320-sec., f/7.1, ISO 100
Read more in What’s In My Bag: Two Zooms & Two Primes For Cold Weather Adventures.
Violetta Scott
“As a landscape photographer having a tele-zoom is a must. While I am not ready to commit to a 400mm beast (well, more importantly to carry it around), I find that 70-200mm is always enough for me. And with the camera being 61mp, I can also crop even tighter shots without sacrificing much quality. Mountain peaks - incredible details, desert landscapes – the compression gives you this epic look that's just hard to achieve with a wide angle. The optical stabilization is a game-changer when shooting handheld in changing light conditions (and I almost always shoot handheld as long as there is any light), and the focus speed means I never miss those fleeting moments when perfect light hits the landscape. Despite its professional capabilities, it remains manageable on long hikes.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: A Hiking Photographer’s Alpha 7R V Kit For Adventure.
Photo by Violetta Scott. Alpha 7R V. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/2500-sec., f/8, ISO 500
Vladimir Voronin
“An absolute beast and, overall, my top lens among all Sony lenses. Autofocus, sharpness, bokeh quality, weight – everything is perfectly balanced. This focal range is one of the most frequently used for reportage photography and travel, especially when you physically can't move closer or further away from your subject. Overall, this lens is a workhorse – the first one you should invest in because it will help you earn money with commercial reportage photography while also being perfect for creative shoots.”
Read more in What's In My Bag: A G Master Kit For Extreme Adventure Sports Photography.
Cliff diver: Pavel Egorov. Photo by Vladimir Voronin. Alpha 7 IV. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/500-sec., f/2.8, ISO 100
Reginald Cunningham
“I LOVE this lens. It is hands down my favorite for concerts, especially when shooting outside of the photo pit. I’ll often pair this lens with the APS-C crop mode on my camera to get a little extra reach. It offers great compression in a super lightweight form factor.”
Read more in What’s In My Bag: The Perfect Photography Kit For Concerts & Events.
Lil Wayne – photo by Reginald Cunningham. Alpha 7R V. 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/250-sec., f/4.5, ISO 2000
To learn more about the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master II lens, click here.
